IRP Core: Flow Cytometry Unit
The Flow Cytometry Unit functions as a Shared Resource Laboratory (core facility) for the NIA IRP. This core facility provides services of analytical flow cytometry and cell sorting, and training of users who independently operate the core instrumentation. It serves an essential function to the biomedical research mission of the NIA IRP. Consistent with our mission and based upon the wide variety in the technical skills of investigators, we actively interact with users to provide innovative solutions to research problems, ranging from the optimization of users’ protocols to complex data analysis including our application of the appropriate cell cycle modeling algorithms and strategies to remove debris and doublets for accurate cell cycle analysis. Typical cell sorting experiments include bulk and single-cell sorts of subpopulations of human blood lymphocytes, mouse thymocytes and spleen cells based on 4-8 color staining, the isolation of cells expressing reporter genes, sorting cell cycle fractions, and rare event sorts of human bone marrow side population progenitor cells, and stained rat brain cells, mouse and human ES cells and ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes. The core is an active participant in several long-term translational studies in aging. The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the art equipment including three BD FACS Aria Cell sorters (FACS Aria II and two FACS Fusion) from BD Biosciences, a MoFlow Astrios and a MoFlow XDP from Beckman Coulter, and c, and BD FACS Symphony, BD FACS Canto, and the Beckman Coulter CytoFlex LX benchtop analyzer for general and high dimensional flow cytometry analysis.
The Flow Cytometry Unit functions as a Shared Resource Laboratory (core facility) for the NIA IRP. This core facility provides services of analytical flow cytometry and cell sorting, and training of users who independently operate the core instrumentation. It serves an essential function to the biomedical research mission of the NIA IRP. Consistent with our mission and based upon the wide variety in the technical skills of investigators, we actively interact with users to provide innovative solutions to research problems, ranging from the optimization of users’ protocols to complex data analysis including our application of the appropriate cell cycle modeling algorithms and strategies to remove debris and doublets for accurate cell cycle analysis. Typical cell sorting experiments include bulk and single-cell sorts of subpopulations of human blood lymphocytes, mouse thymocytes and spleen cells based on 4-8 color staining, the isolation of cells expressing reporter genes, sorting cell cycle fractions, and rare event sorts of human bone marrow side population progenitor cells, and stained rat brain cells, mouse and human ES cells and ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes. The core is an active participant in several long-term translational studies in aging. The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the art equipment including three BD FACS Aria Cell sorters (FACS Aria II and two FACS Fusion) from BD Biosciences, a MoFlow Astrios and a MoFlow XDP from Beckman Coulter, and c, and BD FACS Symphony, BD FACS Canto, and the Beckman Coulter CytoFlex LX benchtop analyzer for general and high dimensional flow cytometry analysis.
Portfolio/Research Areas
- flow cytometry
- cell sorting
- polychromatic flow cytometry
- immunology/immunophenotyping
- human translational studies
- stem cells
- epigentics and chromatin structure
- drug transporters
- cell cycle and cell cycle markers
- cell proliferation
- single cell analysis and gene profiling
- functional analysis